Cementing compositions and methods of cementing in a subterranean formation using an additive for preventing the segregation of lightweight beads

ABSTRACT

Cementing compositions and methods of cementing in a subterranean formation are provided. The cement composition includes a hydraulic cement, lightweight beads, and a desegregating agent for inhibiting segregation of the beads. The lightweight beads may be, for example, cenospheres, glass spheres, and ceramic spheres. The desegregating agent comprises a particulate substrate such as precipitated silica. It also comprises a polar molecule producing chemical disposed on the particulate substrate. Preferably, the polar molecule producing chemical is absorbed on the particulate substrate. The polar molecule producing chemical comprises at least one of a polar molecule producing acid such as glacial acetic acid, a salt of such an acid, and an acid anhydride. The method of cementing includes forming a pumpable slurry using the cement composition, pumping the slurry into a subterranean formation, and allowing the slurry to set.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/376,388, filed Feb. 28, 2003 and entitled “Cementing Compositions AndMethods of Cementing In A Subterranean Formation Using An Additive ForPreventing The Segregation Of Lightweight Beads.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to cementing compositions and methodsof cementing in a subterranean formation. More specifically, theinvention relates to methods of cementing in a subterranean formationusing a cement composition comprising a desegregating agent forinhibiting the segregation of lightweight beads in the cementcomposition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Well cementing is a process used in penetrating subterranean formationsto recover subterranean resources such as gas, oil, minerals, and water.In well cementing, a well bore is drilled while a drilling fluid iscirculated through the well bore. The circulation of the drilling fluidis then terminated, and a string of pipe, e.g., casing, is run in thewell bore. The drilling fluid in the well bore is conditioned bycirculating it downwardly through the interior of the pipe and upwardlythrough the annulus, which is located between the exterior of the pipeand the walls of the well bore. Next, primary cementing is typicallyperformed whereby a slurry of cement in water is placed in the annulusand permitted to set, i.e., harden into a solid mass, to thereby attachthe string of pipe to the walls of the well bore and seal the annulus.Subsequent secondary cementing operations, i.e., any cementing operationafter the primary cementing operation, may also be performed. Oneexample of a secondary cementing operation is squeeze cementing wherebya cement slurry is forced under pressure to areas of lost integrity inthe annulus to seal off those areas.

Low density or lightweight cement compositions are commonly used inwells that extend through weak subterranean formations to reduce thehydrostatic pressure exerted by the cement column on the weak formation.Conventional lightweight cement compositions are made by adding morewater to reduce the slurry density. Other materials such as bentoniteand sodium metasilicate may be added to prevent the solids in the slurryfrom separating when the water is added as described in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,166. Unfortunately, the addition of more watertypically increases the cure time and reduces the strength of theresulting cement.

Lightweight cement compositions containing lightweight beads have beendeveloped as a better alternative to the cement compositions containinglarge quantities of water. The lightweight beads reduce the density ofthe cement composition such that less water is required to form thecement composition. The curing time of the cement composition istherefore reduced. Further, the resulting cement has superior mechanicalproperties as compared to cement formed by adding more water. Forexample, the tensile and compressive strengths of the cement aregreater.

Unfortunately, a problem often encountered when using lightweight beadsto lower the density of a cement composition is that the beads tend tosegregate within the dry composition, and in particular duringtransportation due to agitation. For example, the lightweight beads maysegregate together in one area of the cement composition, leaving otherareas with little or no lightweight beads. Such segregation may becaused by a variation in the densities of the lightweight beads and/orby the lightweight beads having a density different from that of thecement. This segregation is particularly likely to occur when a gasstream is used to fluidize the cement composition for loading orunloading into a transport vessel. It is also particularly likely tooccur when the lightweight beads are cenospheres, i.e., hollow sphereprimarily comprising silica (SiO₂) and alumina (Al₂O₃). Cenospheres area naturally occurring by-product of the burning process of a coal-firedpower plant and thus have a wide range of sizes and densities. Forexample, cenospheres may vary in size from about 10 to about 350micrometers (micron) and in specific gravity from about 0.3 to about0.9.

Therefore, the density distribution of a dry cement compositioncontaining lightweight beads typically becomes non-uniform duringtransport before the cement composition reaches its final destination,e.g., the site of a well bore. When a slurry is formed from thenon-uniform cement composition and pumped into a well bore, the slurrymost likely will not have a uniform density distribution. A cementcolumn formed in the well bore using such a slurry also will most likelynot have a uniform density distribution. As such, the designspecifications of the density profile of the cement column will not bemet. That is, the actual density profile of the cement column will besignificantly different from the calculated density profile asdetermined by assuming the use of a homogenous composition. A needtherefore exits to develop a way to eliminate the segregation oflightweight beads in a cement composition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment, a cement composition includes a hydrauliccement, lightweight beads, and a desegregating agent for inhibitingsegregation of the beads. The lightweight beads may be, for example,cenospheres, glass spheres, and ceramic spheres. The desegregating agentcomprises a particulate substrate such as precipitated silica. It alsocomprises a polar molecule producing chemical disposed in theparticulate porous substrate. Preferably, the polar molecule producingchemical is absorbed in the particulate porous substrate. The polarmolecule producing chemical comprises at least one of a polar moleculeproducing acid such as glacial acetic acid, a salt of such an acid, andan acid anhydride.

According to another embodiment, a method of cementing in a subterraneanformation includes forming the cement composition described above andforming a pumpable slurry using the cement composition. The methodfurther includes pumping the slurry into a subterranean formation andallowing the slurry to set. The cement composition may be transported toa location proximate the subterranean formation before being formed intoa pumpable slurry without experiencing segregation of the lightweightbeads therein. As such, the cement column formed in the subterraneanformation has a relatively uniform density distribution that meetsdesign specifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to preferred embodiments, the foregoing cement compositioncontains cement, lightweight beads, and a desegregating agent forinhibiting segregation of the lightweight beads. A suitable cementincludes hydraulic cement composed of calcium, aluminum, silicon,oxygen, and/or sulfur which sets and hardens by reaction with water.Examples of hydraulic cements are Portland cements, pozzolana cements,gypsum cements, high alumina content cements, silica cements, and highalkalinity cements. The cement is preferably a Portland cement, morepreferably a class A, C, G, or H Portland cement, and most preferably aclass G or A Portland cement.

As used herein, lightweight bead is defined as any particle added to thecement composition to lower its density, wherein the particle may besolid or hollow and is preferably a substantially hollow object filledwith gas that is spherical or substantially spherical in shape.Preferred lightweight beads include cenospheres, glass spheres, ceramicspheres, and combinations thereof. The amount of lightweight beads inthe cement composition may range from about 10% to about 150% by weightof the cement composition, depending on the desired density of thecement composition.

As used herein, desegregating agent is defined as an additive of acement composition which inhibits segregation of the lightweight beadstherein, particularly upon subjecting the cement composition tovibrations such as those experienced during transport of the cementcomposition. The desegregating agent comprises a polar moleculeproducing chemical disposed in a particulate porous substrate. In anembodiment, the polar molecule producing chemical is at least one of apolar molecule producing acid, a salt of such acid, and an acidanhydride. Examples of suitable polar molecule producing acids include,but are not limited to, organic acids such as acetic acid, an alkylcarboxylic acid, an alkene carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, andcombinations thereof. Salts of the foregoing acids may be formed usingweak bases such as ammonia and amines. Examples of suitable acidanhydrides include, but are not limited to, sulfur dioxide, carbondioxide, sulfur trioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic acid anhydrides, andcombinations thereof. Any suitable particulate substrate for carryingthe polar molecule producing acid may be used to form the desegregatingagent provided that the substrate remains as a dry and free-flowingpowder after absorbing the polar molecule producing chemical. Theparticulate substrate is preferably a porous material capable ofabsorbing the polar molecule producing chemical. Examples of suchparticulate substrates include, but are not limited to, precipitatedsilica, zeolite, talcum, diatomaceous earth, fuller's earth, andcombinations thereof. A preferred desegregating agent contains glacialacetic acid absorbed onto precipitated silica.

The weight ratio of the particulate substrate to the polar moleculeproducing chemical utilized in the desegregating agent is preferably ina range of from about 90:10 to about 10:90, more preferably from about75:25 to about 25:75. Further, the amount of the desegregating agent inthe cement composition is preferably in the range of from about 0.01% toabout 1.0% by weight of the cement, more preferably from about 0.02% toabout 0.5% by weight of the cement, and most preferably from about 0.03%to about 0.2% by weight of the cement.

As deemed appropriate by one skilled in the art, additional additivesmay be introduced to the cement composition for improving or changingits properties. Examples of such additives include, but are not limitedto, set retarders, fluid loss control additives, defoamers, dispersingagents, set accelerators, and formation conditioning agents. Theadditives can be pre-blended with the dry cement composition before theaddition of a fluid thereto. Alternatively, the additives can beintroduced to the cement composition concurrent with or after theaddition of a fluid thereto.

According to preferred embodiments, a method of cementing in asubterranean formation comprises forming a cement composition comprisinglightweight beads and a desegregating agent for inhibiting thesegregation of the beads. The desegregating agent is formed by applyinga polar molecule producing chemical to a particulate substrate having arelatively high porosity. A typical method of application of the polarmolecule producing chemical is to add the chemical in the liquid form tothe particulate substrate by spraying it on the substrate. Theparticulate substrate preferably absorbs the polar molecule producingchemical and thus remains in the form of a dry powder after the additionof the polar molecule producing chemical. Preferably, the desegregatingagent is separately blended with a cement and with lightweight beads,followed by blending the cement/desegregating agent mixture and thelightweight beads/desegregating agent mixture together. Alternatively,the desegregating agent may be blended with a mixture already containingboth the cement and the lightweight beads, it may be blended with thecement before adding the lightweight beads, or it may be blended withthe lightweight beads before adding the cement. In this manner, a drycement composition is formed.

The cement composition is then transported to a location near where asubterranean formation is to be cemented. The cement composition may betransported, e.g., in trucks travelling by road, in trains travelling byrail, or in barges travelling by sea. Whatever the method used totransport the cement composition, it most likely experiences muchagitation/vibration during transport. Despite this agitation/vibrationof the cement composition, the presence of the desegregating agent inthe cement composition substantially inhibits the lightweight beads fromsegregating in different areas of the cement composition. Withoutintending to be limited by theory, it is believed that polar moleculesproduced by the desegregating agent react with the surfaces of cementparticles and lightweight beads, thus changing the surface electriccharges such that fluidization of the dry composition takes place. Thus,the distribution of the lightweight beads in the cement compositionremains relatively constant throughout the movement of the compositionto the location where the composition is to be used for a cementingoperation.

An exemplary cementing operation for which the cement composition may beused is primary cementing. In particular, a well bore is drilled down tothe subterranean zone while circulating a drilling fluid through thewell bore. A string of pipe, e.g., casing, is then run in the well bore.The drilling fluid is conditioned by circulating it downwardly throughthe interior of the pipe and upwardly through the annulus. A sufficientamount of a fluid is added to the cement composition to form a pumpableslurry. The fluid is preferably fresh water or salt water, i.e., anunsaturated aqueous salt solution or a saturated aqueous salt solutionsuch as brine or seawater. The slurry is displaced down through the pipeand up through the annulus. The slurry is then allowed to set orsolidify into a hard mass, thereby forming a cement column or sheath inthe annulus. The density distribution throughout the cement column isrelatively uniform due to the presence of the desegregating agent. Inalternative embodiments, the cement composition may be used for othercementing operations such as a secondary cementing operation.

EXAMPLES

The invention having been generally described, the following examplesare given as particular embodiments of the invention and to demonstratethe practices and advantages hereof. It is understood that the examplesare given by way of illustration and are not intended to limit thespecification or the claims to follow in any manner.

Example 1

A cement composition was prepared by blending SPHERELITE beads withEZ-FLO desegregating agent, which contains acetic acid absorbed ontoprecipitated silica, followed by blending the resulting mixture withclass G Portland cement. The SPHERELITE beads and the EZ-FLOdesegregating agent are commercially available from Halliburton, Inc.The amount of EZ-FLO desegregating agent added to the composition was0.13% by weight of the total composition. The blend contained 2 partscement and 1 part SPHERELITE beads by weight. A target specific gravityof the cement composition based on design specifications was 1.73.

The cement composition was tested by placing 100 mL of the compositionin a 100 mL graduated cylinder. The graduated cylinder containing thecement composition was then placed on a vibrator and vibrated for 20seconds to form a packed cement column. The vibrator was an FMC SyntronJogger, Model J-1(115 volt/60 hertz/1 ampere) equipped with a PowerStatvoltage regulator. The voltage applied was 20 volts. Samples fromdifferent parts of the packed cement column were collected. The specificgravities of a top portion and of a bottom portion of the cement columnwere then determined using a stereopycnometer manufactured byQuantachrome Corporation of Boynton Beach, Fla., USA. These specificgravities are presented below in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1

A conventional cement composition was prepared by blending 1 part ofSPHERELITE beads with 2 parts of class G Portland cement. A targetspecific gravity of the cement composition based on designspecifications was 1.73. The cement composition in this example was thentested in the same manner as the composition prepared in Example 1. Thespecific gravities of a top portion and of a bottom portion of thecomposition are shown below in Table 1. The overall specific gravity ofthe composition before subjecting it to vibration packing was alsodetermined, as indicated in Table 1.

Example 2

A cement composition was prepared by blending SPHERELITE beads withEZ-FLO desegregating agent, followed by blending the resulting mixturewith a mixture of Class G cement, calcium sulfate, SILICALITE fumedsilica commercially available from Halliburton, Inc., and salt in aproprietary ratio. The amount of EZ-FLO desegregating agent added to thecomposition was 0.13% by weight of the cement and the SPHERELITE beads.A target specific gravity of the composition based on designspecifications was 1.65. The cement composition in this example was thentested in the same manner as the composition prepared in Example 1.

Comparative Example 2

The cement composition described in Example 2 was prepared withouttreating the SPHERELITE beads with the EZ-FLO desegregating agent. Atarget specific gravity of the composition based on designspecifications was 1.65. The cement composition in this example was thentested in the same manner as the composition prepared in Example 1. Thespecific gravities of a top portion and of a bottom portion of thecomposition are shown in Table 1. The overall specific gravity of thecomposition was also determined as indicated in Table 1.

Example 3

A cement composition was prepared by blending class G Portland cementwith EZ-FLO desegregating agent (0.07% by weight of the cement) to forma first mixture, blending SPHERELITE beads with EZ-FLO desegregatingagent (0.06% by weight of the beads) to form a second mixture, andblending the first and second mixtures together. A target specificgravity of the composition based on design specifications was 1.76. Thecement composition in this example was then tested in the same manner asthe composition prepared in Example 1. The specific gravities of a topportion and of a bottom portion of the composition are shown in Table 1.TABLE 1 Overall Specific Specific Target Specific Gravity GravitySpecific Gravity of of the Top of the Bottom Composition Gravity theBlend of the Blend of the Blend Comparative 1.73 1.73 1.78 1.68 Example1 Example 1 1.73 1.65 1.75 Comparative 1.65 1.65 1.72 1.67 Example 2Example 2 1.65 1.60 1.70 Example 3 1.76 1.76 1.76

Based on the results shown in Table 1, adding EZ-FLO desegregating agentcomprising acetic acid to the cement compositions containing lightweightbeads made the specific gravity of the compositions more uniform fromtop to bottom. Example 3, which involved separately adding EZ-FLOdesegregating agent to the cement and the lightweight beads beforecombining the two, yielded the most uniform cement composition.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and teachings of the invention. Theembodiments described herein are exemplary only, and are not intended tobe limiting. Many variations and modifications of the inventiondisclosed herein are possible and are within the scope of the invention.Use of the term “optionally” with respect to any element of a claim isintended to mean that the subject element is required, or alternatively,is not required. Both alternatives are intended to be within the scopeof the claims.

Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited by the descriptionset out above, but is only limited by the claims which follow, thatscope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.Each and every claim is incorporated into the specification as anembodiment of the present invention. Thus, the claims are a furtherdescription and are an addition to the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention. The discussion of a reference in the Description ofRelated Art is not an admission that it is prior art to the presentinvention, especially any reference that may have a publication dateafter the priority date of this application. The disclosures of allpatents, patent applications, and publications cited herein are herebyincorporated by reference, to the extent that they provide exemplary,procedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein.

1. A dry cement composition comprising: a cement; lightweight beads; anda desegregating agent for inhibiting segregation of the beads in thecement.
 2. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein the desegregatingagent comprises a particulate substrate and a polar molecule producingchemical disposed on the particulate substrate.
 3. The cementcomposition of claim 2 wherein the polar molecule producing chemicalcomprises at least one of a polar molecule producing acid, a salt of thepolar molecule producing acid, and an acid anhydride.
 4. The cementcomposition of claim 2 wherein the particulate substrate is selectedfrom the group consisting of precipitated silica, zeolite, talcum,diatomaceous earth, fuller's earth, and combinations thereof.
 5. Thecement composition of claim 3 wherein the polar molecule producing acidis an organic acid.
 6. The cement composition of claim 3 wherein thepolar molecule producing acid is selected from the group consisting ofan acetic acid, an alkyl carboxylic acid, an alkene carboxylic acid,sulfonic acid, and combinations thereof.
 7. The cement composition ofclaim 3 wherein the acid anhydride is selected from the group consistingof sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur trioxide, nitrogen oxide,carboxylic acid anhydride, and combinations thereof.
 8. The cementcomposition of claim 2 wherein the polar molecule producing chemical isglacial acetic acid, and wherein the particulate substrate isprecipitated silica.
 9. The cement composition of claim 2 wherein thepolar molecule producing chemical is absorbed on the particulatesubstrate.
 10. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein the beads areselected from the group consisting of cenospheres, glass spheres,ceramic spheres, and combinations thereof.
 11. The cement composition ofclaim 2 wherein a weight ratio of the particulate substrate to the polarmolecule producing chemical ranges from about 90:10 to about 10:90. 12.The cement composition of claim 2 wherein a weight ratio of theparticulate substrate to the polar molecule producing chemical rangesfrom about 75:25 to about 25:75.
 13. The cement composition of claim 1wherein an amount of the desegregating agent in the cement compositionranges from about 0.01% to about 1.0% by weight of the cement.
 14. Thecement composition of claim 1 wherein an amount of the desegregatingagent in the cement composition ranges from about 0.02% to about 0.5% byweight of the cement.
 15. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein anamount of the desegregating agent in the cement composition ranges fromabout 0.03% to about 0.2% by weight of the cement.
 16. The cementcomposition of claim 1 further comprising an amount of water sufficientto form a pumpable slurry.
 17. A method of transporting a dry cementcomposition comprising lightweight beads, said method comprising addinga desegregating agent to the cement composition prior to transportingthe cement composition.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein thedesegregating agent comprises a particulate substrate and a polarmolecule producing chemical disposed on the particulate substrate. 19.The cement composition of claim 18 wherein the polar molecule producingchemical comprises at least one of a polar molecule producing acid, asalt of the polar molecule producing acid, and an acid anhydride. 20.The cement composition of claim 18 wherein the particulate substrate isselected from the group consisting of precipitated silica, zeolite,talcum, diatomaceous earth, fuller's earth, and combinations thereof.